Dh overdosed my SN DC at hospital now

[Worried20]

My dh has given my non verbal dc 4 times the dose of his medicine. He fell asleep and it was only when I jokingly said you haven't given him his sleep meds have you? That he realised he had given him 30mg instead of 7.5mg of a med he takes to control his adhd.

He has been monitored but won't tolerate heart monitors even while asleep.

I am at home with other dc as I don't drive and hospital 12 miles away and didn't want to put other dc at risk.

I'm so angry, worried and upset. Not only for the careless and insane overdose but for putting him at risk of catching Covid -19.

He has moved to a ward to keep monitoring. Dh has been obsessively working from home, was the one job of giving a drink with meds in too much to ask while I fixed my other dc breakfast.

What the hell can I do assuming this is ok for my dc. I have never ever made such an error. I'm not perfect but he has really fucked up.

[justilou1]

Yes, @Oblomov20... children are susceptible to overdose just like adults are. Four times the prescribed amount is a significant overdose, depending on the drug. If it is a stimulant and the child is very little, it can cause arrhythmia and possibly cardiac arrest.... Depending on the drug and the amount given used, of course - deaths can happen. There are horrible deaths due to irreversible liver toxicity, ie paracetamol, or the child can become hypoxic and possibly go into cardiac arrest because their breathing has been suppressed. Sometimes, they don’t die and they have irreversible brain damage. Either way, this family is lucky that nothing worse happened. Please don’t attempt to minimize my reaction. I grew up with addicts and I work in the healthcare industry.

[Oblomov20]

It is my understanding that some overdoses are much more serious than others. Depending on what medication it is. And the size of the child.

clonidine overdose I read wasn't as serious as others.

[justilou1]

He’s lucky that Clonidine overdose isn’t THAT serious, isn’t he? FFS!!! His lack of giving a shit could have had very dire consequences if it were a different kind of medication. It’s the attitude of inattention because it’s a job that is considered beneath him.... it’s not important enough to grab his attention for the minute or two to check his medication -or even the inability of this guy to notice that his kid might need to eat or drink something, even though he’s getting himself a coffee??? (I see this a lot on mumsnet too!) I just don’t get the women excusing they “poor little men” who can’t adult up!

[FudgeBrownie2019]

Clonidine overdose could be catastrophic if unnoticed. Thankfully OP's son is fine, but I wouldn't brush this off and forget about it if DH had done this - he'd have the bollocking of a lifetime for something so serious. I'd expect no less than that from him if I did something similar.

[LittleDragonGirl]

Its also important to consider if OP's DH does any of the leg work usually at home? Does he usually get up with the children and does he usually give medication?

I think its easy to forget as the people who do most the leg work with children, who give their medication, who have a set morning routine, that to someone who is not normally part of the process, things that we may consider as standard and have expectations of, may not be that obvious to someone who isn't usually within that process.

[mathanxiety]

A clonidine OD can require airway support. This is not a minor thing.

[lborgia]

@LittleDragonGirl - mm, well the one time I was responsible for giving my neighbour's child medicine I checked, checked again, and then checked with her that it was the amount she was used to taking (she was older and verbal).

Surely if you are not used to giving medicine it makes you more cautious?

[sykadelic]

It is a very stupid mistake. I honestly know I wouldn't make that mistake.

No, you don't. That's what makes it a mistake. You get into a routine, or they change the look of something so it looks like something else.

You can't know you will or won't do something until the possibility is entirely removed.

Don't be too hard on him. This is something that he didn't do intentionally (by your own admission), and yes he did it without thinking and this is definitely something he will never do again.